Colorism is one of the infinite manifestations of racism that feels universal. When I was a kid (I’m Mexican), I clearly remember being told to stay out of the sun so I wouldn’t get “too dark.” I distinctly remember my mother standing in a harshly lit dressing room with me, telling me not to get the clothes I was trying on because purple and coral made me look so much darker. I remember elders telling me not to part my long, dark hair down the middle because it made me look too Native. I was super young so I didn’t really understand where this was coming from but I knew it felt weird to hear it. As I grew up, I figured it out and bought my purple and coral clothing, lingered in the sun whenever I felt like it and parted my hair however I wanted. SPOILER: It felt wrong because it was racist. And now that I know that, I point it out whenever I can.
It’s messed up John Leguizamo felt obligated to stay out of the sun for years in order to maximize his chances at landing his next role. However, it’s great to see that he’s talking about it now in an effort to change things. It’s especially nice to read that he was saying this in a conversation with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Leguizamo also reacted to last year’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which looked at the 1,300 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2019 and found that only 7% of films from 2019 featured a lead/co-lead Hispanic/Latino actor.
“Not only are we invisible, but when we are seen, it’s a negative portrayal,” Leguizamo said. “Things are improving. I think COVID made us really look at ourselves in America. Black Lives Matter was a huge awakening for America, a reboot for America to look at themselves and see what’s going on. I think everybody’s trying to do the right thing and hire many more people of color. What I want to see, I want to see 20% of the roles in front of the camera and the crew. I’m not asking for extra. I just want what’s due to us.”
Leguizamo was speaking to the Academy as part of the organization’s “Seen” interview series. The actor revealed that he is going to run for Governor of the Academy in order to better enforce change in the industry.
“You have to step up and make a change and change it from within,” Leguizamo said. “I feel like if you’ve achieved a certain amount of success, it’s your duty to give back.”